Concrete cattle-guard.



G. P. MURRAY.

CONCRETE GATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13. 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Elnoomtoz a m a e M .C

G. P. MURRAY.

CONCRETE CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

CHARLES P. MURRAY, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

CONCRETE CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22., 1910.

Application filed. April 13, 1909. Serial No. 489,633.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Concrete Cattle-Guards, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to concrete cattle guards, and more particularlyto reinforced cattle guards, the object being to provide a cattle guardwhich is composed of a plurality of sections adapted to be secured onthe ties between and to each side of the rails in such a manner thatthey can be easily and quickly put in position or removed in order toallow the track to be repaired.

A still further object of my invention is to provide novel reinforcingmembers which are so embedded within the sections that the sections willbe reinforced at the points where they are subject to the greateststrain.

A still further object of the invention to provide each of the sectionswith a hook adapted to receive a rod which is secured to the adjacenttie.

Another object of the invention is to provide the sections with beveledends so that all danger of anything dragging from a train becomingcaught into the same is prevented.

With these various objects in view, my invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction, arrangement and combination of partshereinafter described, pointed out in the claims and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a. top plan view showin the block sections in position on arailroad track. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the sections showing the reinforcingmembers in dotted lines. Fig. A is a detail section. Fig. 5 is a sectiontaken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line6-6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the locking bar.Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a modified form of fastening member.Fig. 9 is another modification especially adapted to be used when thesections come together in the center. Fig. 10 is a detail perspectiveview of a modified form of locking bar.

In carrying out my improved invention, I employ a plurality of sectionsA comprising oblong blocks having longitudinal ribs A provided withbeveled ends A for the purpose hereinafter fully described. The blocksare formed thicker at the ends and the center as clearly shown at A inwhich are embedded cross bars B which are connected to a link C embeddedwithin the block which extends around the block under the ribs asclearly shown. The central portion of the block is cut away as clearlyshown at A so that when placed on a pair of ties D the intermediate tieswill be below the plane of the bottom of the block. Connected to one ofthe reinforcing bars B is a hook E adapted to be secured in the offsetportion F of the bar F which is provided with offset portionscorresponding in number to the number of block sections used and issecured to the side of the tie by screws G as will be hereinafter fullydescribed. The other end of each of the blocks is provided with beveledportions H adapted to fitin beveled notches I of a beveled block I whichis secured on the face of the tie so that after the block is forced upagainst the same, it will be impossible for the block to movevertically. Secured against the other end of the block is a beveled faceblock J which prevents the block sections from inovinglongitudinally.Openings A are formed in the ends of the block sections through whichspikes or screws can be inserted for securing the blocks in position onthe ties if desired.

In placing the block section in position on the track, the beveled endis forced into the beveled notch of the block secured to the tie firstand the other end forced against the block at the other end and it willbe seen that when the sections are in this position, it will beimpossible for the blocks to move longitudinally. After the requirednumber of blocks have been placed in this position, the bar with theoffset portions is placed over the hooks and screws passed through thesame so as to securely fasten the bar to the tie which securely locksthe sections on the ties and when it is desired to remove the guardsections, it is only necessary to loosen the screws holding the bar andthe blocks can be readily lifted off of the ties.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, I provide the tie K with notches toreceive the hook members of the block sections so that the offsetportions of the locking bar K can be dispensed with. In thismodification the reinforcing member is formed double instead of singleand is formed from a single bar which is first bent to form a ring andthen bent to the proper shape to fit the locking member and passedthrough the ring out of the bottom of the member and is bent to form ahook which is secured in position as clearly shown. By this arrangementthe reinforcing member will be held firmly within the section and at thesame time the section will be reinforced in such a manner that alldanger of it giving away is prevented.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9 I provide a guard especially adaptedto be used where two or more tracks are close together in order to fillthe space between the same and in this case I provide block sections Lhaving outwardly projecting reinforcing members L which are adapted tofit in notches M formed in a strip M which is secured upon the top ofthe tie and after the reinforcing members have been placed in position Iplace a strip M over the same and secure the same to the strip M byscrews M so as to hold the same firmly in position. From the foregoingdescription it will be seen that I have provided a cattle guard which iscomposed of a plurality of concrete blocks having reinforcing membersembedded therein in such a manner that the blocks will be strengthenedat the points where they are subject to the greatest strain so that alldanger of the blocks becoming broken is prevented. It will also be seenthat the reinforcing members are provided with hooks adapted to beconnected to a bar for locking the blocks in position on the ties.lVhile I have shown and described the block sections secured to the tiein this manner it is of course understood that they can be secured tothe tie by screws or spikes as after the blocks have been placed inposition it will take very little to hold the same from moving but Ihave found by experimenting j that a block secured in position as setforth will be held in such a manner that it can be easily and quicklydetached when desired.

lVhat I claim is 1. A cattle guard comprising a plurality of concreteblocks having longitudinal upstanding ribs provided with beveled ends,one end of each being further beveled to 00- act with a block secured ona tie and the other end of said blocks being provided with a hook forsecuring it to an adjacent tie.

2. A cattle guard comprising a plurality of reinforced concrete blockshaving longitudinal upstanding ribs, one end of each block beingprovided with a beveled face coacting wit-h the beveled face of a blocksecured upon the tie and the other end being provided with a straightend co-acting with the straight face of a block secured upon anothertie.

3. A concrete cattle guard composed of a plurality of duplicatesections, each section being provided with upstanding spaced ribs havingbeveled ends, one end of each section being beveled and the other endbeing straight and blocks of wood secured on ties adjacent said ends,for the purpose set forth.

4. A concrete cattle guard comprising a plurality of duplicate sections,each section being provided with a beveled end, a block of wood securedupon one of the supporting ties adapted to engage said beveled end, ablock secured to an adjacent tie engaging the other end of said section,a bar adapted to be secured to said last named tie and a hook on thesection to co-act with said bar, for the purpose described.

CHARLES P. MURRAY.

